California Pol Thinks Water Should be Free for Students

One California politician thinks there is a drought on California campuses.

San Francisco state Sen. Mark Leno is proposing that students have access to free water on school menus. He says many districts don't offer water with meals despite a statewide focus on healthy eating in recent years.

Senate Bill 1413 has already calls for fresh water in school eating areas by next July. The bill has already passed the California Assembly and Senate and is awaiting the Gov. Arnold Scwarzenegger's signature.

But there is a problem with the bill. It doesn't provide funding and most districts say they can't afford it.

But advocates say the solution is simple and cheap. In small schools, for example, water pitchers and cups could be placed on lunch tables.

Montclair Elementary School in Oakland has what it calls a "hydration system," a faucet that students use to fill their own bottles with drinking water.